Corporate Services Cabinet Member – Minutes – 27 May 2010
374 (1) BUSINESS RATE RELIEF – The Service Director Finance submitted a report considering the level of Business Rate relief to be awarded to two ratepayers in North Lincolnshire.
The Policy Committee agreed the legal position and administrative practices for dealing with rate relief on 22 January 1996.
The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 20 February 2005 (minute 128 refers) agreed to adopt a scoring system based on set criteria for the awarding of discretionary rate relief. The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 7 February 2005 (minute 233 refers) agreed to amend the criteria. The Corporate Services Cabinet Member on 21 December 2006 agreed to update the criteria and gave approval to the Service Director Finance to authorise relief where the level of relief remained unchanged.
There was no discretion about granting mandatory relief.
Resolved – That the level of rate relief be awarded to each applicant as set out in the schedule attached to the report.
On 24 February 2010 Council approved the revenue and capital budgets for 2010/2011 financial year (minute 1830 refers). Since then various developments had been approved which needed to be reflected in the budget to assist proper financial control. The report gave details of virements approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated powers and those that required Cabinet Member approval.
Resolved – (a) That the virements at paragraph 3.1 of the report, approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated powers be noted, and (b) that the permanent virements outlined in paragraph 3.2 of the report be approved.
The council was likely to have spent in excess £250,000 in the last year on buying-in Legal Services from the Private Sector. Buying-in services was largely undertaken either to supplement an existing internal resource or provide one where there was no such resource. This was undertaken through a variety of commissioning processes, some of which were undertaken by the Legal Service.
Legal Services were difficult to benchmark as they varied depending upon the sort of project they supported. It was difficult to be sure that the council was getting value for money from its arrangements. Further there was no opportunity to exploit the council’s market position as a purchaser of services on the present ad hoc basis.
To try to gain additional value for the council it was proposed to undertake a procurement jointly with NE Lincolnshire and Kingston upon Hull Councils. In addition the councils would offer to potential suppliers the right of first refusal for the types of legal work covered by the contract hopefully providing an incentive to offer attractive rates.
A summary of the approach and the outline proposed arrangements were set out in the report.
Resolved – (a) That the report be noted and the principles underlying the Framework Agreement be approved, (b) that the Service Director Legal and Democratic be the only authorised commissioner of legal services for the council, and (c) that the outcome of the procurement be reported the Corporate Services Cabinet Member.
The Supporting People Programme, launched six years ago, was designed to target vulnerable people over the age of 16 who required help and support to live independently in sheltered housing, the remit widened to include people living in private lettings.
The supporting people commissioning body had agreed to the development of a Prevention Services Strategy for Vulnerable Adults within North Lincolnshire.
The strategy would outline commissioning intentions for the next five years, aligning its priorities with the Local Strategic Partnership, Strategic Housing and Homelessness thus supporting a commitment achieving outcomes across the wider sustainable community strategy.
A vacant Purchasing and Contracts Monitoring Officer post had been realigned to Strategic Commissioning as part of the ‘Fit for the Future’ transformation programme. Within the current Job Description and overall purpose of the job, this post was not considered fit for purpose to deliver the supporting people realignment to mainstream Adult Social Services and the progression of the Prevention Services Strategy for Vulnerable Adults led by the Strategic commissioning team.
It was proposed to revise the job description and person specification for the Purchasing and Contract Monitoring Officer in order to recruit a Project Manager – Prevention Services Strategy.
Resolved – That the establishment of the Project Manager – Prevention Services post within the Strategic Commissioning Service of Adult Social Services be approved.
The council had a statutory duty under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, to provide accommodation with support for all young people leaving the care of the local authority, including those who were young parents. The council also had a duty to assess the needs of any young person aged 16 or 17 who presented as homeless, and to provide them with accommodation and support, especially those who were pregnant or young parents.
At present there were 20 young care leavers between the ages of 15 and 21 who were either pregnant or had children. 35 per cent of this group’s children were subject to child in need or child protection interventions.
Currently, there was no specific accommodation where high-level multi agency support was available for young parents in North Lincolnshire. Young parents with high level support requirements were placed in specialist care units of county.
North Lincolnshire Council had forged a successful partnership with Longhurst and Havelok Homes, to deliver affordable accommodation for young people. As part of this partnership a project to deliver supported accommodation for young parents and their children had been developed.
The young parents supported housing scheme would provide 6 x 2 bedroom independent homes to rent together with communal training spaces and an IT suite. The project would become the hub of all health and social care services for young parents in North Lincolnshire with a range of training and support services being provided both for residents and young parents living in the wider community.
The full cost of the scheme was estimated at £1.2m. External funding of £610,000 had been secured from the Department of Children Schools and Families and the Regional Housing Board to assist in delivering this project. The balance would be funded by Longhurst and Havelock Homes.
The full business case set out that in order for the project to be delivered the council needed to contribute a piece of land on which the scheme could be developed. Land to the rear of Brocklesby Road had been identified following a review of sites that were not currently in the disposals programme. This site had been independently valued at £150,000 and this potential capital receipt would be forfeited if the land were gifted to Longhurst and Havelok Homes.
Resolved – (a) That approval be given to gift the land to Longhurst and Havelok Homes for the development of the young parents supported housing project, (b) that a nominations agreement be drawn up as part of the legal work when the land is transferred, and (c) that the Cabinet Members for Housing and Strategic Planning and Children’s Services receive update reports on progress with delivering the scheme.
379 (6) CHILDREN IN CARE/CHILDREN IN NEED TRANSPORT SERVICE – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report seeking approval to formally establish three posts within the Children in Care / Children in Need Transport Service (CiC/CiN), which had previously been undertaken in a temporary capacity and to realign the Children in Care / Children in Need Transport Service to the management of an overall CYPS transport service.
Details of the proposals were set out in the report and appendix.
Resolved – That the establishment of the Children in Care/Need Transport Team as set out in the report be approved.
380 (7) TRANSFER OF CMISS STAFF – The Director of Children’s Services and Service Director Adult Social Care submitted a joint report seeking approval for the change in line management of three posts from Children and Young People’s Service to Adults Social Services with effect from 1 May 2010.
Details of the proposed transfer along with the staffing and financial implications were set out in the report and appendices.
Resolved – That the transfer of line management and budgets outlined in the report, be agreed.
381 (8) SCHOOL CROSSING PATROL REGRADE – The Service Director Highways and Planning submitted a report seeking consideration of an application for regrading of a post in the road safety team.
The role of the post had developed since single status and job evaluation was introduced in 2002. New responsibilities had been added and existing duties expanded to reflect changes in working practice and efficiency within the Road Safety Team.
An application for regrading was submitted on 3 November 2009. This had been considered by the relevant panel with the result that the score credited to the post had risen.
Further details and the job description were appended to the report.
Resolved – That the application for regrading of the School Crossing Patrol post, as set out in the report, be approved with effect from 3 November 2009.
382 (9) PROPERTY TRANSACTION SCHEDULE – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking for consideration, and where necessary approval, of a schedule containing the terms of all recently negotiated property transactions.
Resolved – That the schedule appended to the report be approved.
383 (10) SALE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking approve the sale of the following property holdings: the former Ashby Library and the former Collum Avenue Car Park in Ashby.
Both properties were surplus to council requirements, had been on the market for a considerable time and were a maintenance and security liability.
An acceptable offer for both properties had been received from a single party, conditional on them receiving a satisfactory planning consent.
Further details were set out in the report.
Resolved – (a) That the council dispose of the freehold of the former Ashby Library and Collum Avenue car park, on the terms outlined, and (b) that opportunities be explored to provide a car parking facility, for the former library development